New Ulm weekly review., 1887-10-12
n STORY OF THE W AR.

main road. and it was only by pene-
trating to it through a dense bit OF
woodland that it was reached.
Small wonder then. that as the dis
tant war in Virginia drained the coun-
try OF it's sparse population, fewer and
fewer feet turned aside from the big
road, attracted by the curling Of the
smoke from Capt. sutton's chimney
or by the sound Of Dawes axstroke.
The links that bound him to this
world seemed 50 few and frail that he
wondered at himself in a sort of con-
temptuous surprise that he had not
long ago given himself up as food for
powder. True, there was an underly-
ing principle in his staying at home,
but no one knew OF it, and if fthey did
would have regarded it as just one
!, more stain on his scutcheon. =
All that he knew of life he kneMthe-
oretically. There was nothing wrong In
owning slaves that hecould see. Doubt
less, if he had been born at the big
house, instead ofatt the overseer's s house
in the quarter lot, he would have been
in hotter haste than Fred and AL had
been to spring to the defense of his
rights. But having nothing at stake,
he had better qualified for looking at
the question all around, and in his
unaided Judgment he had decided that
the precedent of secession was a bad
one. He took no high moral grounds.
!, He was quite sure that the white peo-
| pie Of his section were making mis-
take, but in his aloofness he often
| grew so morbidly disgusted with
inaction that he was half
tempted to throw himself into the
thing on one side or the other, just
to end the never ending discussion over
it that his own reason waged against
/ his own belligerent instincts. He was
SO absolutely sure that there was not
the faintest tinge of cowardice in his
soul that he never considered vindica-
ton necessary on that score.
Into this scene OF moral and. physi-
cal isolation a small personality was
intrudad one afternoon as he paced
1 restlessly up and down the rough
shapely brown hands clutching at the
lapels OF his leans coat. It was Man
/ dy, Mandy, who had belonged soul
and body to the governess over at
Col. Rafe Sutton s ever since that first
night of acquaint tanceship that had
resulted in midnight turmoil in
'Mandy's awakened conscience. Not
that what she had insisted up
on calling ''gettin' religious"
had had an appreciable effect
upon Mandy outward]y, unless in
deed in a short lived resolution not to
countenance the Saturday evenings
dance at the quarters, or in alugubrious
inclination to groan aloud on subse-
queit occasions whenever the govern
ess had been reading aloud to her OF
nights from the bible; but Mandy,
being fully satisfied OF her own regen
eration, was correspondingly devoted
toEthe agent of that regeneration, and
the girl from Boston found herself the
virtual possessor of at least one de
voted slave.
On the occasion in question Mandy
had been entrusted with q very deli.
cate mission. SO delicate that the GOV
ernes.s had drilled her ambassadors
by word Of mouth, fearful OF in
uolving some one else in trouble If she
should commit her message to paper.
Cap stopped in his aimless tread Of
the responsive planks to look amaz-
edly at Mandy when she first appear
ed. She had emerged suddenly from
the {. ose ranks OF the trees, plungine
her ashy bare heels vigorously into
the left hapk OF the unhappy looking
mule, hung his head in detected con
seriousness # his own absurd appear.
ance. Mandy had captured him with
some difficulty in the broad open
cornfelds where the cockie-burrs had
disputed supremacy with the neglected
grain and grown rankly up to tile
time OF their ripening, which was The
time OF confusion for erything that
split the hoof. 'Maudy's mule bris.
tied with masses Of the brown clingine
burrs. It's tail stood rigidly out, ia
one unyielding mass of them. Across
it's bare back she had flung an old
gunny sack, and between its unwilling
jaws she had thrust the rusty snaffle-
bit to hel rope bride.
The exertion of urging her steed to
it's utmost speed had disarranged her
, draperles somewhat, and her head
| kerchief WAS prevented from parting
company with her head altogether
only by a vicious grip of it's futtering
, ends, which she maintained with her
strong white teeth, Cap watched he1
with a smile as she clambered down
! over the rail fence, on top OF which
she tdlsmounted and to whose 'srider''
!; she attached her bury mule. Mandy
/ was affected with no false modesty
; touching her burr proof ankles, o.
!; which She made unblushing exhibition
before she alighted on the ground, and
; ; ram nisnbly toward d the gallery with 8
face full ef importance Q. tying her ban
, dannaatfresh as sheran Miss Fanny
! say was to get here in hurry
! SHE said. projecting her eager voice il
advance of her scurrying feet, zen sht
say mas to AK you did you know d.
gaa -balrners WAS bout ag' inf
Gih burners! Foo1s!"